SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The practice of midwifery became legal in Missouri in 2007, but it requires someone with formal training to be a Certified Professional Midwife. One C.P.M. is opening up a birth clinic here.
Mary Ueland opened the center near Glenstone Avenue at Sunshine Street. It's a five-minute drive to a hospital if there are complications. That's why Ueland picked the location.
The clinic does not have an official name yet. Ueland says the demand is great for this practice and she's already turning people away. The asking price is about $3,000. That covers prenatal care.
Ueland plans to have four to eight births at the clinic per month.
At Mercy Hospital Springfield, workers help deliver nearly a dozen babies every day.
"A lot of people want their epidural and that's great. There's always going to be a large percentage of women who don't want to deal with the pain of labor. But, for the woman that would rather do it naturally, this is a great option," said Ueland.
